China Daily quoted the health ministry as saying that a panel consisting of nine endocrine, paediatric and food safety experts, that was set up by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, was “investigating the claimed premature baby cases.”

The controversial milk powder was produced by Synutra International. At least there were three infant girls affected by the company’s products and started growing breasts.

“Relevant technical organisations” were already testing milk powder samples from the market and from homes of the infant girls, it said.

Consumers who are suspicious with food products that have quality issue could send in the food to inspection agencies, said the ministry.

But the agencies could refuse test consumers’ samples because the origin of those samples might be uncertain, the ministry added.